August 2017 Solar Eclipse

[Rossue]

If we go it will be to a favorite boondock site in the eclipse path in Idaho.

[tractors1]

I spent 12AM to 2AM trying to reserve a site, then gave up and set the clock for each hour thereafter. Assumed the reserveamerica site was hammered and kept trying to get in. At 8 AM I gave up.

We'll just go to central Oregon and find a forest place somewhere.

[Mandomary]

Lead story in today's Eugene paper "Campsite reservations eclipse Oregon record". Says the sites were gone in about an hour. Also says they have first-come first-serve campgrounds that they might make reservable for the eclipse. Must be the most important thing that happened yesterday.

[SpokanEscape]

We just made reservations at Maryhill on the Columbia River! We'll have the choice of driving a couple hours south to Madras, going to Goldendale Observatory for partial eclipse viewing, or sitting in our lawn chairs watching a partial eclipse. Decisions decisions!

[dfandrews]

Our latest plan was - going to stay with friends in La Grande (NW Oregon), then drive down I84 to the total eclipse line. But then we found out just how much of a traffic jam is to be expected (including side roads, farm roads, BLM land, etc.) for those who haven't already staked out a viewing spot at least 48 hours in advance.
Current plan: We will watch the live-stream on https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse

Maybe check out pre-selected traffic cams. Who knows what we'll see!
Good luck to those of you in the totality.

[SpokanEscape]

Sounds like viewing the partial eclipse from our campsite will be the way to go!

[ThomasG]

I noticed some folks plan to just watch the partial eclipse because of the traffic and campground issues. The big prize in a total eclipse is to see the sun's corona (the outer atmosphere). You won't see the corona in a partial eclipse. The corona is amazingly beautiful and it looks better through your eyes than in any photo you will see.

I saw the 1979 total solar eclipse from the Columbia Gorge in Eastern Oregon. It was amazing. You definitely don't want to miss seeing the totality of this eclipse if possible. The next total solar eclipse in the US is on April 8, 2024. The path is from Texas to the Northeast. The next total eclipse in the US after that is on August 12, 2045.

Here is a good website with general eclipse info: Total Solar Eclipse – 2017 August 21 | Eclipsophile. It also includes average precipitation maps for August. It doesn't matter if you are in the center of the total eclipse path if the sky is cloudy. From their maps you can see eastern Oregon historically has the best weather at that time of year. So, combined with the good weather, location near major metro areas (Portland, Salem, Eugene), and the future schedule of eclipses, you now know why eastern Oregon is ground zero for this eclipse.

This website is interactive and can show the details of the eclipse for any location you select: USA - 2017 August 21 Total Solar Eclipse - Interactive Google Map - Xavier Jubier. Play with it and you will see you don't have to be right on the center line to see almost all of the total eclipse.

Donna D., thanks for the tip on the campground lights possibly coming on during totality. I hadn't thought of that.

[ThomasG]

About a year ago I realized I needed to get working on finding a campsite for the 8/21/2017 total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to it until October. However, I did find and and reserve a campsite.

I wanted to be in Central Oregon somewhere between Mitchell and Unity if possible. I figured the Madras area would have a crazy number of people who drove over from the Willamette Valley. Highway 26 goes east/west through this area and closely follows the path of totality. I could get up early the eclipse morning and drive a few hours east or west if the weather wasn't looking good the night before the eclipse. Plus, there are lots of sights to see in Central Oregon.

The first campground I called was the Fish House Inn and RV Park in Dayville (Fish House Inn and RV Park). They have a nice little campground with six sites with full hookups. He said they were fully reserved for the eclipse over a year ago. He also said he heard some ranchers in the area were going to rent dry campsites for $100-$200/night! I'm now depressed and I've only called one campground.

Then I called the Dayville South Fork RV Park (https://www.facebook.com/pg/southfor...?tab=page_info) just down the street from the Fish House Inn and RV Park. He said he wasn't taking any reservations until after the New Year. I'm guessing he wants to see how high he can jack up the prices. I'm now even more depressed.

I then called the Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park in John Day (Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park) and the Crook County RV Park in Prineville (Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park). One of them (I forgot which) said they were full, but they were opening 75 dry campsites and they weren't raising prices. Dry camping sounded okay, but Central Oregon is hot in the summer and we planned to hang around for a few days before and after the eclipse, so I preferred to reserve a campsite with utilities.

I ended up reserving a campsite with water and electricity at the Catfish Junction RV Park (Catfish Junction RV Park - Huntington, Oregon - Close to Hells Canyon and the Snake River!) on the Oregon side of the Snake River for $30/night. They had two sites with utilities at that time (I'd bet the other is gone now). Perhaps they will open some dry sites. Weather wise it is still a good location. If necessary I can drive west to Central Oregon or east into Idaho early the morning of the eclipse. The campground itself looks like a good location to observe the eclipses (if the lights stay off - thanks again Donna D.). We will arrive a couple of days before the eclipse and scout possible observing locations.

My suggestions for finding a campsite for the eclipse:

• Look at the info in my previous post for weather and eclipse maps
• Look further east in Oregon and western Idaho (Wyoming looks fairly good too)
• Consider camping away from path of totality and drive into the path the morning of 8/21 (but not in the west part of Central Oregon where the roads may be clogging)
• Look for dry campsites
• Get there several days early and look for campgrounds that don't take reservations (National Forest, BLM, etc)

It is definitely worth the effort to see a total eclipse in an area with good weather. You will never forget it.

By the way, I used the Allstays Pro website (Allstays | Campgrounds | RV Parks) to do most of my campground research. It is a paid service, but well worth the price in my opinion. The also have an Android smartphone app, but the website has more info and is easier to use (again in my opinion). I'm not receiving anything from Alllstays for this endorsement, I'm just a happy customer.

[SpokanEscape]

Thanks for your informative posts Thomas. It looks as if it will be well worth driving an hour south from Maryhill to see the eclipse in totality. It looks as if the Goldendale observatory will have some informative presentations in the days leading up to the eclipse and I am looking forward to being able to go there. We also use the Allstays app and have found it really helpful for finding places to stay!
Gosh I just thought of a great name for any Escapes hatched in 2017 - "Egglipse 2017"!

[Ruthe]

August 21st is my birthday -- On another thread I wrote that we managed to get two cabins and two RV sites in Colter Bay Village in the Tetons for us and our five adult children and g rand children. It was seriously crazy getting those reservations. Now I have to work on plane and car reservations for our kids -- When Terry was in Hawaii for the eclipse in 1991, they ran out of rental cars. I'm the travel agent in the family -- Terry's job is to worry about the weather.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

August 21st is my birthday -- On another thread I wrote that we managed to get two cabins and two RV sites in Colter Bay Village in the Tetons for us and our five adult children and g rand children. It was seriously crazy getting those reservations.

Yay Ruthe! I was wondering how you were making out as I remember you posting awhile ago you wanted to hit that neck of the woods for the eclipse.

Regarding the posts from others about getting sites later after midnight. I tried that! I tried getting something at The Cove even after getting a site at LaPine. But no go! and I tried for a long time. Congrats to those that got a place where they wanted.

However, a friend's sister has some undeveloped property in the totality path, so we're all thinking of hitting her place the day of the eclipse or at least staying there the day before. We'll see what happens, but it's great we have a place to drive to for viewing.

[Mike Lewis]

My tentative plan was to camp on some BLM land in central or eastern Oregon a few days ahead of time and wait for the eclipse. I can't believe the entire state (along the path of totality) will fill up, but I could be wrong. Opinions?

[Ruthe]

Eastern Oregon has slightly better weather predictions than the Tetons. We chose the Tetons because of the logistics of getting 13 people from all over the country to the same spot, and if it clouds over, at least we'll be in a beautiful place with lots to do. People will be flying in from all over the world -- If we didn't have reservations I'd stake out a place at least a week ahead of time. Actually, I'd probably get there two weeks ahead of time, but that's me. I remember being in Nova Scotia in, I think, 1972, and being clouded out. That time literally hundreds of people were camped in a farm field with no facilities and we had a tent. Those days are seriously over.

[NW Cat Owner]

Yeah, I'm thinking there will be TONS of people out for the eclipse. Not looking forward to the crowds, but am looking forward to the actual event.

Gotta get our viewing glasses!

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Gotta get our viewing glasses!

My glasses came today! Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - The best prices you'll find on CERTIFIED SAFE Eclipse Glasses!

$12.80 for 4 pair. Lots of great info on the site.

Arnie

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by arniesea

My glasses came today! Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - The best prices you'll find on CERTIFIED SAFE Eclipse Glasses!

$12.80 for 4 pair. Lots of great info on the site.

Arnie

Highly recommend safety glasses, watching without can cause eye damage, something I have from watching one in the 60's, thinking a tinted windshield would protect, it doesn't.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by arniesea

My glasses came today!

Thanks Arnie. Already had them bookmarked and now we're gonna figure out how many we'll need between us and the rest of the gang.

Hey, can you see how they fit over a pair of glasses? I didn't see anything on their site pertaining to that. thanks much!

[Ruthe]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Yeah, I'm thinking there will be TONS of people out for the eclipse. Not looking forward to the crowds, but am looking forward to the actual event.

My guess is that it will be a really popping time in Colter Bay. The cabins can sleep a certain amount of people, but there will be young people who'll crowd in their friends. (I would have done that once upon a time). We will be in the RV campground with our oldest and her family and I expect they will be pretty strict (but you never know) but the first come first served campground has 350 or 400 spots and you better believe that there will be more tents and trailers than are normally permitted.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner

Hey, can you see how they fit over a pair of glasses? I didn't see anything on their site pertaining to that. thanks much!

I stashed them in my trailer so I wouldn't forget them so I don't have easy access at the moment. I also wear glasses and they look like they would easily fit just behind the lens. In other words my guess is I would wear them behind instead of over my glasses. Next dry day when I can open my trailer cover up, I will check it out.

Arnie

[currinh]

Anyone have information about good/decent BLM dispersed campsites in Eastern Oregon? I've Googled but haven't found any designated areas.

We're planning to go for the eclipse, but not sure where. There are a few National Forest camps in the path, first come first serve. I hate to go two weeks early though. A nice open BLM area would be ideal. Maybe an impromptu Escape rally?

Thanks.